ACT Conference Will Set Agenda For Election

The ACT Party conference this weekend will focus on the key
issues the party believes the next election will be
fought on - health, education, law and order, and the
economy/tax.

"ACT will be holding workshops on these
issues at the conference. We believe neither of the two
main parties has credible solutions to the complex
problems in health and education," ACT leader Richard
Prebble said.

"ACT believes there must be greater
use of the private sector in health.

"In education,
standards are meaningless without exams.

"In law and
order, we need a justice system that holds criminals
personally responsible for their actions.

"The ACT conference is again
inviting world-class speakers to stimulate debate and
discussion. Rob McLeod, author of the McLeod tax report,
will be making his first public speech since presenting the
$1 million report to the government.

"Former
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Peter Reith will speak on
the ANZAC relationship. Mr Reith has not been giving
interviews since his retirement, so interest in his
speech is high on both sides of the Tasman.

"Theodore Dalrymple, a columnist for the Spectator magazine
in the UK, is a much-admired speaker on the international
circuit. He is a doctor who has worked in the slums of
England and has many interesting observations, not just
about the health system but also about society. He has
never spoken in New Zealand before.

"At the ACT
conference, we always invite a successful entrepreneur to
give insights into how to encourage excellence in New
Zealand. This year it's Bill Day, CEO and founder of
Seaworks, a multi-million dollar global marine technology
company that walks the walk on innovation.

"The opening
speech will be given by ACT's co-founder Derek Quigley on
Friday night. This is his first major speech for ACT since
he retired as an MP at the last election. Sir Roger
Douglas has agreed to join Derek on the platform and say
a few words for a founders' night.

"The conference will
be opened by John Banks, whose successful campaign for
the mayoralty has demonstrated that Auckland is
responsive to a vigorous, policy-based Centre-Right
campaign.

"ACT intends using the conference to set the
agenda for the election campaign, to campaign on the real
issues, rather than making declaratory statements against
Robert Mugabe and such like," Mr Prebble said.

"ACT
is a party with fresh ideas and positive, practical
solutions. The conference comes at a time when ACT has
risen in every poll this year.

"ACT believes the party
is capable of winning 20 seats and holding the balance of
power after the election," Mr Prebble said.

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